Title IX and Law Enforcement (Plain Text)

This infographic is formatted with purple and yellow details and fonts. The title reads “Title IX and Law Enforcement,” and below there is a description saying “The role that law enforcement plays in incidents of Title IX Prohibited Conduct can be a little confusing. Read below to learn a little bit more about how and when law enforcement gets involved.”

The flowchart begins with a bubble that reads “First things first” and points to another box saying “Choosing to get law enforcement involved is the victim’s personal choice.” There is an arrow from this box to one saying “What does this mean?,” which then points to a bubble with the answer “If you do not want the police to get involved in your Title IX case, your requests will be honored. The only time this would not occur is if there is a ‘significant and articulable threat’ to the victim, like when there are allegations of serious physical violence, the use of a weapon, or multiple reports against a single person alleging sexual misconduct.” This answer is continued in another bubble, which finishes “This is done to protect the immediate safety of the victim, although it is rare that law enforcement gets involved against a victim’s wishes.”

The next question bubble reads “So, does this mean that law enforcement will not be present at all through the Title IX Office?”, and points to the answer “Not exactly. A representative from the University Police Department (UPD) is one of the members of the evaluation panel.This group conducts a threat assessment for each victim, meaning that they assess the situation and decide how to proceed and how best they can offer support.” From this box there are three arrows, all pointing to the same next bubble.

The next bubble says “Here, the role of the UPD representative is to determine whether the alleged actions are not in accordance with Virginia law. However, the representative does not start a report or take any legal action unless there is a ‘significant and articulable threat.’”

The next question bubble asks “What happens if law enforcement becomes involved?,” and is answered by a box saying “Based on where the incident occurred, a member of the UPD, Charlottesville Police, or Albemarle County Police will reach out asking if you would like to talk.” The next step reads “If you are contacted, you can:” and has four arrows, each pointing to a different option. The first option is “decide to speak with them and take legal action.” The second is “decide to speak with them, but not take legal action.” The third is “decline to speak with them,” and the fourth and final option is “Not respond to outreach.”

The final question in this infographic is “What if I want to get law enforcement involved,” and the answer bubble reads “If you would like to get law enforcement involved, you can request that with Title IX, or choose to file a separate report to the police."